IGN Movie Reviewshttp://www.ign.com/articles
The latest movie reviews at IGNSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with GoogleStar Wars Rebels: Season Finale Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/Vhb5IDspC6E/star-wars-rebels-fire-across-the-galaxy-review
Star Wars Rebels ended its first season with its best episode yet, filled with exciting moments.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 05:28:51 GMT54f5180180a8583db10c18f2Note: Full spoilers for the Star Wars Rebels: Season 1 finale follow.

Well, you can’t say Rebels didn’t go big in its season finale! A ton had changed by the end, pointing to a what could be a very different series in Season 2. And wow was getting there exciting!

So yeah, where to start, really?

Oh, yeah…

AHSOKA!!!

Look, was she the most obvious possibility to be Fulcrum? Yes. But do I mind that what was most fans’ first guess was what turned out to be the case? Not at all. Because most of us wanted and needed Ahsoka to return. Her popping up on this show felt 100% inevitable, given Dave Filoni’s involvement, but they could have held off a lot longer. But no, she’s here now and she’s a part of the show after just 13 episodes. And that’s really cool, because this is a character we’d invested so much time in through The Clone Wars that you couldn’t help but want to know “And then what…?” after she left the Jedi order. We have plenty more to learn, but “Helped start the Rebel Alliance” is a great start.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-03-03T05:28:51Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/03/star-wars-rebels-fire-across-the-galaxy-reviewMaps to the Stars Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/sVUEPf3N6d8/maps-to-the-stars-review
David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars is a very different kind of horror film for him: a blistering indictment of Hollywood.Sat, 28 Feb 2015 01:57:35 GMT54f10dc57addd5931b2b8b9aDavid Cronenberg is considered the master of body horror. He films a lot of orifices, cavities, and diseased flesh. He had bodies fall apart, or be taken apart, in The Fly, Scanners, Dead Ringers, The Brood, etc. Body horror is a label that’s been affixed to him like a skin graft. But now that he’s been a filmmaker for 30 years, if you step back and take a broader view from his gaping body holes, you’ll see that his interest in the body is mostly about how the mind ruins it—because it’s always seeking more. More stimulation, more prestige, and ultimately, more separation from the body itself.

His newest film, Maps to the Stars, is about how a place can ruin the body because it stirs up the idea of the unattainable, and makes people do horrible things to each other, and to others. The place, in this film, is Hollywood. It’s an easy target, and many films have been made about the rotting nature of “the industry,” because it’s the gaping orifice that filmmakers get to see up close. But zoom out and you begin to see that Cronenberg isn’t picking at the surface scab. He’s seeing generations of nepotism, turning naturally into incest and if that trend goes even further, Hollywood will breed itself completely out of existence. As it is right now, it’s the land of freaks and ghosts.

]]>Brian Formo2015-02-28T01:57:35Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/28/maps-to-the-stars-reviewThe Lazarus Effect Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/j597fFngmFI/the-lazarus-effect-review
Despite a few good scares, The Lazarus Effect could use a shot in the arm -- er, <em>head</em>.Thu, 26 Feb 2015 21:27:25 GMT54edf2cf7addd5931b2b8ac7From Blumhouse Productions -- the micro-budget movie company that brought you Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Purge -- comes The Lazarus Effect, a resurrection horror film directed by David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) and starring Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Evan Peters, Donald Glover and Sarah Bolger.

The film follows a group of researchers on the brink of creating a serum that will bring the dead back to life and give people "the second chance they deserve," according to the project's leaders Frank (Duplass) and his fiancée Zoe (Wilde). But after a successful trial on a dead dog, the team's research is confiscated by a generic "evil corporation" led by a smarmy Sam Wise (who is promptly never seen again). Left with no other options, the researchers decide to duplicate the experiment, only this time -- after a devastating mishap -- they use a human subject. As these things go, the results are... undesirable.

]]>Max Nicholson2015-02-26T21:27:25Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/26/the-lazarus-effect-reviewFocus Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/F8Q2PJSNgTs/focus-review
Focus works best when it hones in on its two charismatic main characters and their sexy, wordy interplay.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:00:08 GMT54eb76b27addd5931b2b8a36Focus is an old-fashioned star vehicle. There are race cars, there are swindles, but those are distractions—things to remove your attention—it’s all about the wordplay. And while not every word rings true, these days it’s just nice to see a big-budget movie that actually gives space for dialogue to settle, mingle, and play.

Will Smith is the star for this vehicle, and the movie sinks or swims in accordance to his chemistry with the pretty ingénue, played by Margot Robbie. And although they meet in clunky screenplay fashion (more than once actually), they do have chemistry to burn.

Smith is Nick, a smooth con artist. He has a team of lifters who steal from people who travel to make bad decisions for a weekend (i.e. football games, Mardi Gras, race tracks, etc.) in various stages of inebriation and undress. Nick’s team will create a pop-up shop in a warehouse nearby, install secure servers, and make a quick, untraceable million. And then they use that million to bankroll higher stake cons to make an even bigger score. Robbie is Jess, the sexy orphan Nick takes under his wing—and pins under his thumb.

]]>Brian Formo2015-02-25T14:00:08Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/25/focus-reviewMarvel's Agent Carter: Season Finale Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/A0rvIsZR9MQ/marvels-agent-carter-valediction-review
With Leviathan set to unleash a horrific weapon, Peggy and the SSR race to stop them in the Season 1 finale.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 03:00:51 GMT54e7be6d80a8583db10c1696Note: Full spoilers for the Agent Carter: Season 1 finale follow.

First off, I have to admit I totally didn’t catch the significance of Ivchenko’s real name being “Fennhoff” last week, confirming he was the MCU version of the Marvel Comics/Captain America villain Doctor Faustus. This is a really fun inclusion, as Faustus, while a modern era villain in the comics, did indeed interact not just with Cap but with Peggy Carter (the elderly version), so having him appear in Agent Carter in the MCU still feels like a good and appropriate fit.

We got a name for the “Everyone goes crazy and kills each other” Stark weapon this week – Midnight Oil. Howard revealing he did not create it with that purpose in mind was a relief, even as I did wonder why he still would have it at all, once he knew what it did. Fortunately, I felt that was somewhat touched upon by Fennhoff, when he told Howard, “It only exists because of you.”

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-25T03:00:51Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/25/marvels-agent-carter-valediction-reviewStar Wars Rebels: "Rebel Resolve" Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/YLwp_LH0OFY/star-wars-rebels-rebel-resolve-review
The Ghost crew attempt to rescue one of their own, as Tarkin and the Empire employ severe interrogation methods.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 16:32:56 GMT54e97dc9a0dcec6e0f76632eNote: Given this episode has been available on WATCHDisneyXD for the past week, we're publishing it before it airs Monday night, so be aware that full spoilers follow.

The penultimate episode of Rebels’ first season (yes, I was surprised to find it was already wrapping up!), “Rebel Resolve” had a lot of cool sequences in it, though it also felt a bit like the mid-section of this three-parter that it is. Last week had Tarkin’s arrival and Kanan’s capture, and presumably, some big events are in store for the finale, but this episode was more about the Rebels trying to get Kanan back.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-23T16:32:56Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/23/star-wars-rebels-rebel-resolve-reviewMcFarland, USA Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/KXLh8jAF3vw/mcfarland-usa-review
Disney's McFarland, USA, starring Kevin Costner, tells the true underdog story of an unlikely cross-country team.Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:17:12 GMT54e62a1ba0dcec6e0f76628fSet in 1987, Disney and director Niki Caro's McFarland, USA recounts the true story of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), whose job search leads him to a predominantly Latino high school in McFarland, California, where he struggles to find common ground with the kids there. That is until he notices some of his students' exceptional running skills, and he forms a rising group of unlikely runners who bond to create a championship cross-country team.

Initially, the film is set up as a typical football movie, something like Remember the Titans or Friday Night Lights. White starts out as a football coach and is assigned to the hopeless McFarland Cougars. But instead of the team overcoming their obstacles on the field, White remarks it's not the players' talent; they're just in the wrong sport. The thing is, White is just as clueless about coaching cross-country as his kids are of competing in it. This sets up a nice overarching storyline that not only challenges the students but Coach White as well.

]]>Max Nicholson2015-02-20T21:17:12Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/20/mcfarland-usa-reviewHot Tub Time Machine 2 Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/5CVpRtbzlCI/hot-tub-time-machine-2-review
The John Cusack-less Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is a lifeless, near laugh-less experience.Thu, 19 Feb 2015 19:51:41 GMT54e58c2980a8583db10c161eI really liked the first Hot Tub Time Machine. It’s charm and throwback winks, mixed in with all that bubbling raunch was an unexpected jet blast. It delivered a lot of highs for such a low concept film (in case you’re not familiar, yes, there’s a hot tub that operates as a time machine). But with the sequel we indeed get all the low concepts you’d expect from such a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine.

Uh-oh, I feel a “Dear John” letter coming on. But don’t worry, even though Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is a lifeless, near laugh-less experience, this isn’t a “Dear John” breakup letter. Like Back to the Future, the first sequel to Hot Tub Time Machine left behind the thing that made it all work magically the first time: associations with the past.

I’m a bit under the weather this week and going to try and keep this one short – so I’ll jump to the chase and say the penultimate episode of Agent Carter was the show’s best one yet.

There was a sense of dread permeating over the episode, especially as all the main characters were separated and the feeling that one of them was going to die loomed large and what impressed me here was that I cared about that. The more it became likely either Dooley, Thompson or Sousa were going to die, the more I recalled how just a few weeks ago I was bemoaning that the SSR guys needed fleshing out and to be (Sousa aside) more than just sexist obstacles to Peggy’s progress, and the Agent Carter writers had done just that in the limited time available. Seven episodes in and I wasn’t looking forward to any of them buying it and there was a well done sense of anxiety building through the episode as a result.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-18T02:58:36Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/18/marvels-agent-carter-snafu-reviewGirl House Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/PxXmnAYVqg8/girl-house-review
A house that streams content to an X-rated website leads to terror in this new thriller, now in theaters and on VOD.Sat, 14 Feb 2015 02:02:19 GMT54dea4fb80a8583db10c150cGirl House -- essentially Halloween set in a sleepy college town where six female webcam performers live in a house with a 24/7 live camera-feed -- has the prefect review for it within a chat box. New girl, Kylie (Ali Cobrin), has just strip-teased for the first time, one arm across her chest. Responding to “Dark_hammer” who labels her a tease, “snatchDragon” says, “first dance bro, let her build up.”

Girl House is an impressive first feature for Trevor Matthews. Its shortcomings fall mostly into the realm of a tiny budget, some bad guy over-simplification, and an over-reliance on jumps rather than terror. But for a slasher film, there is suitable attention to detail and a reputable level of respect for all the characters. It would’ve been very easy to go full-on lurid with this material, but the girls are likeable, the guy who created the site isn’t even remotely sleazy, and when Matthews chooses to be sexy, his camera is more casual than it is leering.

]]>Brian Formo2015-02-14T02:02:19Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/14/girl-house-reviewFifty Shades of Grey Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/QFCFgPI-tsk/fifty-shades-of-grey-review
Fifty Shades of Grey neither dominates nor submits to its inherent silliness.Thu, 12 Feb 2015 04:03:45 GMT54d9159580a8583db10c13cfEven as a book, Fifty Shades of Grey is a bizarre thing. Prior to becoming a worldwide phenomenon, author E.L. James' kinky erotic novel began as Twilight fan fiction and was later reworked into an original, self-published ebook. Since then, Fifty Shades has gone on to become one of the most talked-about book series of the last decade, selling over 100 million copies since its release in 2012. Suffice to say, a Fifty Shades movie (and now two sequels) was a foregone conclusion, but the press leading up to its release had some (most?) fans worried since the chemistry between costars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson seemed to be nonexistent. (Seriously, it's pretty funny.)

]]>Max Nicholson2015-02-12T04:03:45Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/12/fifty-shades-of-grey-reviewStar Wars: Darth Vader #1 Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/Q9niJY-IVkw/star-wars-darth-vader-1-review
Marvel's second ongoing Star Wars comic focuses on the Dark Lord of the Sith, and it's well worth reading.Thu, 12 Feb 2015 03:32:07 GMT54d91f227addd5931b2b86ebDarth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in all of pop culture, to say nothing of the Star Wars franchise itself. He's a character at once supremely terrifying and profoundly tragic - a promising young warrior brought low by his own fear and doubt and anger and perverted into something inhuman and evil. Bearing all that in mind, it's surprising that so little Expanded Universe material has focused directly on a post-Episode III Anakin Skywalker. Even those projects that do purport to star Vader often wind up devoting more attention to the Rebels or Jedi Vader is hunting or the hapless Imperial soldiers under his command. After all these years, it seems as though the Dark Lord of the Sith is a figure better kept to the periphery of the Star Wars franchise.

]]>Jesse Schedeen2015-02-12T03:32:07Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/12/star-wars-darth-vader-1-reviewMarvel's Agent Carter: "A Sin to Err" Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/bsKBsb1pv84/marvels-agent-carter-a-sin-to-err-review
Peggy's forced to go on the run from the SSR, while Dottie's continuing to cause lots of trouble.Wed, 11 Feb 2015 02:59:16 GMT54d5838d7addd5931b2b866dNote: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Agent Carter has been venturing into darker terrain as it goes on, while still retaining a fun, light touch in other moments. It’s a tricky combination, and yet they’re pulling it off. Given the era the show’s set in, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s almost an Indiana Jones-type feel at work here. Per example, this week’s episode had a nasty, foreign military officer stab a man, while noting his intention to also kill his family – and also had Peggy and Jarvis fighting a room full of government agents set to a jaunty song. And it all worked!

Peggy on the run, pursued by the SSR was perhaps an inevitable place to go, from the moment the show began with her sneaking around behind their back, and it was cool to see it actually play out. Peggy kicking all those agents butts was great, as was the way she got the drop on Thompson and called Sousa’s bluff when he had the drop on her.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-11T02:59:16Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/11/marvels-agent-carter-a-sin-to-err-reviewStar Wars Rebels: "Call to Action" Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/Mw2jRg0LFkc/star-wars-rebels-call-to-action-review
Grand Moff Tarkin's arrival signals that the Empire is set on wiping out the growing threat of the Rebels.Sun, 08 Feb 2015 15:18:01 GMT54cf7d937add5bf61184bf07Note: Given this episode has been available on WATCHDisneyXD for the past week, we're publishing it before it airs Monday night, so be aware that full spoilers follow.

I have to say how gratifying the placement of this episode was. In my review of the last episode, I was noting that one issue Rebels will have to overcome is having the Empire – at what's meant to be the height of their strength – pretty much always losing in the episodes so far, or at least failing to stop the Rebels. Well, this episode actually directly addressed that in a big way, as none other than Grand Moff Tarkin arrived on Lothal, none too pleased with how Kallus, The Inquisitor and Maketh Tua had been performing of late.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-08T15:18:01Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/08/star-wars-rebels-call-to-action-review12 Monkeys: "Atari" Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/o2Ydz7PyyYY/12-monkeys-atari-review
A scavenger attack on the facility forces Jones to make a drastic decision.Sat, 07 Feb 2015 03:00:13 GMT54cf013fa0dcec6e0f765e4aNote: Full spoilers for the episode follow:

This week's episode featured a surprisingly small time hop for Cole and a story that had little to do with the mission to stop the virus from wiping out mankind. This ended up being a good thing however, as we learned more about those people in 2043 who are plotting to wipe themselves out.

Last week we knew that Deacon and his army were going to attack the facility at some point, and I was pleasantly surprised that it happened almost immediately in "Atari." Somehow, the VII know about secret tunnels they have no business knowing about and they get in, and they do a lot of damage. They seemingly kill Ramse, and come close to destroying the machine. It was revealing that, when her back was to the wall, Jones sent Cole back to 2015 and to Cassie, ultimately trusting Cole's judgement and ability to eliminate their timeline.

]]>id=Christine Seghers2015-02-07T03:00:13Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/07/12-monkeys-atari-reviewOutcast Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/Jhj2RyUObQU/outcast-review
Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen star in the awful new medieval epic Outcast, in theaters and on VOD today.Fri, 06 Feb 2015 20:26:46 GMT54d51b2880a8583db10c1349“No one goes East,” says a 12th century buzz-coifed master archer named Jacob (Star Wars' Hayden Christensen) in Outcast. But this is the 21st century, and Western moviemakers are still trying to figure out how to cheaply tap into the Asian film market. Thus far, their formula is simple: go to a century where birthright ascension to ruling is still in place, pit family dishonor versus honor, and (a la 47 Ronin) drop at least one known white actor in there. Outcast drops two: Christensen, and the always willing Nicolas Cage.

This Chinese-Canadian-French co-production bumbles from a beginning battle in the Middle East — which has the same quality of production value as a re-enactment that would air on The History Channel (except with more blood) — where we are introduced to Jacob and Gallain (Cage) slaughtering batches of holy warriors in oppositional garments. Jacob does go East, seemingly only because he’s addicted to opium. He’s chasing the dragon, because us Westerners know that expression.

]]>Brian Formo2015-02-06T20:26:46Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/06/outcast-reviewSeventh Son Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/qIxR4Zuqz64/seventh-son-review
Jeff Bridges trains Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) to do battle with Julianne Moore in this fantasy adventure.Fri, 06 Feb 2015 00:35:48 GMT54d1a5b880a8583db10c129fIf you've seen the trailer for Seventh Son, you’ve seen all the movie has to offer: a grizzled, staff-wielding Jeff Bridges squaring off against Julianne Moore’s army of evil minions, a generic young hero (Ben Barnes) caught in the middle, and more giant monsters than you can shake a sword at.

The story, such as it is, amounts to little more than the stretched out third act of what might have been an epic journey, but instead feels like a hurried, haphazard succession of battle sequences in ever more cinematic locales. It starts with Master Gregory (Bridges), a professional “Spook” who earns his living doing battle with things that go bump in the night. He takes young Tom Ward (Barnes) as his apprentice just in time for the end of the world, which is now only days away. But don’t worry, there’ll be a knife throwing montage somewhere in the middle to mold this unqualified rube into a match for the greatest evil the world has ever known.

]]>Adam DiLeo2015-02-06T00:35:48Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/06/seventh-son-reviewSpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/OL247uecz9w/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-out-of-water-review
SpongeBob SquarePants and his Bikini Bottom pals are back with a new movie. But is it sponge-worthy?Thu, 05 Feb 2015 23:04:37 GMT54cd3011a0dcec6e0f765e1cAs a fan of both the SpongeBob series and the first SpongeBob movie from 2004, I was quite looking forward to the long-awaited sequel (well, in the way that any crazy SpongeBob story could be considered a follow-up to what's come before it) Sponge Out of Water. I can try and shuck off my fandom by saying that it's directly due to my kids, but admittedly SpongeBob is a show that's proven to be entertaining for all ages and actually contains very clever elements to it. Aside from the fact that, when you boil it down, it follows the time-honored cartoon tradition of "one character annoys the holy hell out of another character."

Having written all that, I'm giving Sponge Out of Water a moderate recommendation. It's got some golden moments of weird, surreal glee, but there are also parts that are a huge mess. I know, it's weird to criticize something like SpongeBob for being too untethered, but when it prevents the story from gelling the way it should you wind up with a movie that sort of feels like a bunch of separate SpongeBob episodes all tacked together in a row.

Yes, it’s easy to geek out over the inclusion of the Black Widow program and the Howling Commandos, and these elements are awesome to have on the show. But I’m really glad Agent Carter took those first few episodes establishing Peggy and her world -- and making it a strong world on its own -- so that the inclusion of these other aspects of Marvel have even more impact to a story we already are invested in.

So yes, as suspected – and then confirmed by the producers right here, at IGN (excuse the plug!) – Dottie is a Black Widow, even if the show itself isn’t using that term. It’s a really cool way to layer in an important element from the Marvel movies and give it even more context, as we learn that in the MCU, Russia’s been training girls like this for a long, long time.

]]>Eric Goldman2015-02-04T02:59:05Zhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/04/marvels-agent-carter-the-iron-ceiling-reviewJupiter Ascending Reviewhttp://feeds.ign.com/~r/ign/movies-reviews/~3/M4P3ryhmEIA/jupiter-ascending-review
The Wachowskis' Jupiter Ascending is ambitious and visually stunning, but its story never quite gets off the ground.Tue, 03 Feb 2015 20:36:16 GMT54cc1ce580a8583db10c11c6Jupiter Ascending marks an impressive, if clunky, entry in the Wachowski siblings' eclectic filmography. Combining elements of science, mythology and 1950s pulp, the directors' new space opera is a wild ride that's filled with sweeping action, thought-provoking ideas and vast potential. It also presents a bright and colorful universe that, like Star Wars and Avatar, is just begging to be explored. Unfortunately, the story doesn't quite hit its mark, with several extraneous subplots mucking it up. While Jupiter Ascending reaches for the stars, it falls a bit short of that, landing somewhere in the middle of deep space.

The story follows Russian immigrant Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), who scrubs toilets for a living. Unbeknownst to her, she possesses the exact same genetic makeup as the matriarch of a powerful galactic royal family. By all accounts, she is the rightful heir to Earth, which as it turns out is the most valuable planet in the galaxy. Meanwhile, the matriarch's three children are at war with one another over the inheritance.